The food industry uses bacteria in order to improve the taste and the texture of food or feed products. In the case of the dairy industry, lactic acid bacteria are commonly used in order to, for example, bring about the acidification of milk (by fermentation) and to texturize the product into which they are incorporated. Among the lactic acid bacteria commonly used in the food industry, examples include the genera Streptococcus, Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus and Bifidobacterium. 
The lactic acid bacteria of the species Streptococcus thermophilus (S. thermophilus) are used extensively, alone or in combination with other bacteria, for the production of food or feed products, in particular fermented products. They are used in particular in the formulation of the starter cultures used for the production of fermented milks, for example yoghurts. S. thermophilus is widely used for the manufacture of yoghurt and cheeses, such as Emmental, Gouda, Cheddar and Italian cheeses. These products have a high market value, making S. thermophilus a species that has major economic importance.
There is a continuing need in the art to provide bacterial strains, in particular S. thermophilus strains, which are able to provide not only good or improved rheological or organoleptic properties, such as texture and flavor, but also a satisfactory shelf life to food or feed products.